sword

sword,

weapon of offense and defense in personal combat, consisting of a blade with a sharp point and one or two cutting edges, set in a hilt with a handle protected by a metal case or cross guard. The sword may have developed from the dagger at the beginning of the Bronze Age. It was not, however, until the more durable iron sword was introduced in the early Iron Age that the sword became an effective weapon. Greek and Roman swords were very short, with pointed ends, and had two cutting edges. Medieval knights used two types of swords: a short sword with a pointed end that was used with one hand and a heavy two-handed sword with a rounded end. During the Middle Ages the best blades were those made by the Arabs in Damascus and Toledo. Swords were widely used in the Middle East and E Asia as well as in Europe. The scimitar, used by the Persians and Arabs, is a curved steel sword. One of the best known of the East Asian swords is the Japanese samuraisamurai, knights of feudal Japan, retainers of the daimyo. This aristocratic warrior class arose during the 12th-century wars between the Taira and Minamoto clans and was consolidated in the Tokugawa period......Click the link for more information. sword, consisting of a curved single-edged tempered steel blade set in a long handle. As a highly personal weapon the sword attained symbolic importance; surrendering one's sword became a token of submission, and the custom of taking an officer's sword away from him and breaking the blade when he was dismissed from the service in disgrace arose because a sword is the mark of an officer and a gentleman. During the Crusades and later, the sword, because of its shape, frequently was used to symbolize the Cross. The sword is now obsolete as a weapon and is carried in some military units for decorative purposes in times of peace. Special types of swords are the rapier, the épée, and the saber. See fencingfencing,sport of dueling with foil, épée, and saber. Modern Fencing

The weapons and rules of modern fencing evolved from combat weapons and their usage......Click the link for more information..

Sword

(religion, spiritualism, and occult)

One of the coven tools in Wicca, a sword is used to mark the ritual Circle. The Priest or Priestess walks around the line marked on the ground and points the tip of the sword at it, directing energy into that line. This is the first stage of consecrating the Circle; the second and third stages involve sprinkling it with consecrated salted water and censing it with the fumes of incense.

The coven has only one sword, since it is only used in a coven situation. It is not necessary, therefore, for every Witch to own a sword. However, the sword may be used in lieu of a magic wand for directing power when working magic. This, again, is done in a coven situation with the coven leader wielding the sword.

At the start of many initiations, the officiating priest points the sword at the neophyte when asking if he or she really does wish to become a Witch. Sometimes the words, "For 'tis better to run on my sword and perish than to make the attempt with fear in thy heart," are addressed to the initiate.

The sword used in the Gardnerian tradition of Wicca has a brass cross-hilt that comprises two crescent moons back-to-back. The pommel is circular with a pentagram engraved on each side. Many other Wiccan swords also follow this design.

Sword

a thrust and slash weapon for close combat. It consists of a blade (usually straight and sharp on both sides) and a hilt with a crosspiece and a pommel.

The forerunners of the sword were blades consisting of bone bases into which flint pieces were inserted; such blades from the Neolithic have been found in the region of Lake Baikal. The bronze sword was common in Mesopotamia, the Transcaucasus, and Western Europe from the mid-second millennium B.C. The most ancient metal swords were divided into thrusting and slashing swords. In the last third of the second millennium B.C., combined thrusting-slashing swords appeared. The iron swords of the beginning of the first millennium B.C. were similar in form to the bronze swords. In the first half of the first millennium B.C., long iron swords (sometimes with bronze hilts) were used in Europe, the Transcaucasus, and the Middle East. A short sword called an akinak was common among the Scythians. Long slashing swords were used in Europe in the second half of the first millennium B.C. by infantry and heavy cavalry. The ancient Romans (third century B.C.-third century A.D.) had a short broadsword called a gladius for infantry combat and a long slashing sword called a spatha for cavalry combat. In Rus’ the most ancient swords date from the ninth century and existed until the 16th century, at which time they were superseded by the saber. In the 13th century the first Russian thrust swords appeared.

During a special study of the swords preserved in Soviet national museums it was found that many of them have different marks indicating their place of manufacture. In particular, the signatures of Western European artisans have been found, as well as the Russian inscription Liudota KovaV on a sword from the late tenth century. A sword was usually a weapon of the nobility and among many peoples served as a symbol of authority.

All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.